Dayak
Culture Events
Tiwah Dayak Ceremony
Death, the Dayaks belief, is considered a migration from the world of
the living to the hereafter. Basically, the death ritual is to honor
the soul simultaneously as a means to lead the soul of the dead towards
the hereafter. Therefore, for the Dayaks of Central Kalimantan
especially the Ngaju, the death ritual, called Tiwah is considered of
the utmost importance.
The Ngaju believe that the soul Liaw of the deceased person keeps
lingering in the family's surroundings. Only after the ritual known as
tiwah has been held is the soul free to travel to the hereafter, called
Lewu Liaw or lewu tata.
The death ritual consits of two parts. First, the ceremony which is
held immediately after a person's death. Second, the tiwah, which is to
lead the soul to the other world and concludes the death ritual.
Generally, this ceremony is held a year after the person's death.
Commonly it is held after the harvest season when there are not much
work to do and food stocks are available. However, since a lot of money
is involved, most people usually wait until enough has been saved, or
else organize the event collectively. The ceremony may last for week or
a month, depending on the wealth of the family. The bones are collected
and wrapped in a kakandin (red cloth, placed into a garantung gong),
then stored in the Sandung, the special storage house. All the while,
the gongs and drums are sounded and there is chanting. The Upo or
ceremony leader, speaks a formula, which is repeated by the basirs of
panumba that is, the members of the group perfoming the ritual. The
drums are again beaten, in the rhythm that changes with the mood of the
narration. First, the soul is awakened. Then, it is invited to put on
proper clothes and offered various delicacies. It is also given a new
name.
Finally, the soul is led to the belay entay (waiting house), which is
found on pasahan raung hill (the coffin). After that, the Salumpuk liaw
haring kaharingan are summoned from place named Balu Indu Rangkang.
There are two souls representing the physical and the spiritual. The
souls merge and travel to a place called Banama Nyaho. From there, the
trip continues to Lewu Tata Panungkup.
During the tiwah ceremony people sing and dance with the remains of the
dead during the night. All the people participate, men and women, old
and young. The ceremony reaches its most dramatic stop during the
slaughter of a buffalo as a sacrifice. If only one buffalo is killed,
it is done a day before the cremation. If there are several, the
killing maybe done either at once, or a day before cremation or one or
a few at a time, until cremation takes places. The buffalo is killed
with spears, by several people, taking turns. The animal is tied to the
animals pala, called sapundu and cannot escape, while it's executioners
aim their spears at its head and body. The person who has the
obligation to throw the first spear is the brother of the deceased. If
he is indisposed, he can be represented by a cousin. After the buffalo
is dead, members of family trample on the carcass later, the meat of
buffalo will be shared. Commonly, the ceremony of cremation is held a
day after the ceremony buffalo killing. A cleansing ceremony is held
three of seven days after tiwah ceremony, to drive all the evil spirit
away. All the utensils used in the tiwah are thrown away, because they
are considered to be attached to those evil spirits. The cleansing
ceremony is led by a balian.
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How
To Get There
The
major
cities and towns at
Kalimantan, have connections with large Indonesian cities such as
Jakarta, Makassar, Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Semarang.
Balikpapan, Tarakan
and Pontianak have international airports and
flights arrive here from Singapore, and Malaysian Part of Borneo cities
as Tawau and Kucing. For the latest schedules visit the airline web
pages.
A few remote
areas - such as Long Bawan, Apokayan, Bontang,
Tanjung Selor, Derawan and Nunukan – have local flights. some
of these flights are regularly scheduled or and some
infrequent. .....read
more
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Arriving
travelers with Visa-On-Arrival status have to go first to one
of the 'VOA Counters' to pay the appropriate fee and have their
passports stamped with the VOA before proceeding to the Immigration
Clearance Desk.
All
visitors must possess a passport valid for at least six months
after their arrival date in Indonesia....read more
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Kalimantan
Events
The Most Spectacular Dayak
Events at Kalimantan. Various rituals and ceremonies are held each
year, from Erau, Tiwah to more local harvest and rain dances
as expressions of gratitude, designed to mark important moments or
cultural Dayak traditions of many years......read
more
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Dayak
Longhouses are
various in art, Differant tribes have differant Longhouses, and can be
found all over Kalimantan island. From The Mahakam River Area, to the
Upper Kapuas River Region.....read
more
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Kalimantan
Reserves
Kalimantan
National Parks are
various, The Adventures Jungle of Kayan Mentarang, to the soft Kersik
Luway Orchid Reserve. Orangutans
can be found at Tanjung Puting, Wehea,
and Kutai National Park. Derawan Maritime National Park with it's
Manta's and coral reefs
....read
more
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The
Dayaks tribes came to Kalimantan as a migration from other
parts in Asia about 3000 years ago.
Dayak
are defined in more then 200 different tribes, the main tribes
are the Bakumpai and Dayak Bukit of South Kalimantan; the Ngajus and
Baritos of Central Kalimantan; the Benuaqs, Kayan, Kenyah, and the
nomadic Punan ....
read more
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